Royal Flemish Philharmonic At The Edge of The World: Empty Mind I / Groove

A modern and stylistically flexible symphony orchestra, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic demonstrates an artistic flair, which allows for a variety of styles- from classical to contemporary- in a historically authentic manner. Chief Conductor Edo de Waart is responsible for the orchestras main repertoire. Drawing on his vast orchestral experience, he contributes to the unique character of the ensemble, working closely with Principal Conductor Philippe Herreweghe. Wim Henderickx, artist in residence of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, is one of Belgiums most prolific contemporary composers. He is known for a style that casts its net far beyond Western music. According to Gramophone Magazine, this process of creative osmosis does not lead to an eclectic or postmodern style, but rather to a clearly identifiable and internally consistent musical organism, as if he stood back and viewed the world from a great distance, studied its many cultural forms and practices in detail, immersed himself fully in its musical styles and traditions, then carried on much as before. Following the successful release of his powerful and impressive orchestral work Tejas, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic is proud to present this new release with more orchestral music by Henderickx. The subtitle of his Symphony No. 1, At the Edge of the World (2011) is inspired by a sculpture by Anish Kapoor, and is in itself a five-movement reflection on space and sound. This new recording goes along with the percussion concerto Groove! (2012) and the two alternative versions of Empty Mind I (2013-2014).